Laauli extends apologies to Lepa and Faleata No. 3 constituencies
Member of Parliament for Gagaifomauga No. 3 and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Laauli Leauatea Schmidt.
Photo: Parliament of Samoa
The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Laauli Leuatea Schmidt expressed apologies to the electoral constituencies of Lepa and Faleata No. 3 after Parliament voted 29-19 on Tuesday to place their Members of Parliament on suspension for two years.
Laauli, the Deputy Leader of the ruling Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) political party appeared on the Soalepule programme broadcast Wednesday evening on EFKS-TV.
He offered apologies (faamalulu atu) “to the constituencies whose M.P.s have been affected” by the 29-19 vote.
Laauli was referring to M.P. for Lepa and Opposition leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and the M.P. for Faleata No. 3 Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi.
“With respect, I offer apologies to the constituencies where Tuilaepa and Leala are from...in Lepa Aufaga, Lepa and Saleapaga and to Faleata, Vaitele,” he said.
The F.A.S.T. deputy leader called Tuilaepa and Lealailepule his “biggest enemies.”
The matter is of utmost importance and should not be taken lightly, said Laauli.
The decision to suspend them was the right decision, he said, that was based on honesty and the rule of law.
“There is no doubt that there was wrongdoing. It has already been proven so no one has to question it. It is a fact that they broke the law,” said Laauli.
Speaking as an M.P. for Gagaifomauga No. 3, he noted that all M.P.s were given the opportunity to review the report from the Ethics and Privileges Committee and cast a vote based on the report.
“I’m talking on behalf of my constituency. All M.P.s were given the opportunity to review the report from the committee. All M.P.s who supported the report spoke on behalf of their constituencies,” Laauli said.
“They agreed to this punishment.”
But the two M.P.s “refused to accept they did anything wrong,” he said.
“They showed Parliament no respect. They showed no humility. They look down on the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, Cabinet, the Speaker and all Members of Parliament,” said Laauli.
“They are representatives of their constituencies....they did not think of their constituencies.”
The two from the H.R.P.P. are haughty and high-minded who rather than show humility chose to wear their crowns (tuiga) high rather than admit to having been in contempt of court and Parliament.
Tuilaepa and Lealaulepule did not think of their constituencies when they made the wrong choices, he said.
Samoa’s government is only at its seventeenth Parliament (Parliament XVII) and the current Parliamentarians will not be here forever.
“We are stewards only for the moment. We will not be here forever. There will be a time when we depart. This is only the 17th parliament but there a hundred more in the future. I prepare for the way for the next person in line,” said Laauli.
“It is my constituency that has the say on when my time is done. You don’t come here to be a fiapoko (know-it-all), you come here to serve your constituency. You should not think you hold all the power.”
Parliament House, he said belongs to the country,
“They broke the law yet they want us to accept them. The house belongs to the country it has been here for 60 years. Our forefathers fought for it. Our ancestors built it for us. It was not easy and now in the seventeenth Parliament they expect us accept these outlaws and allow them to still sit in Parliament?,” Laauli said.
“I don’t accept that. It’s not a place for outlaws. What happens when people with dirty hands are in there? Parliament will have lost its integrity. How can you make laws and then break the laws? What will the Commonwealth think? The Inter-Parliamentary Union think? The United Nations? They will say the Government of Samoa is full of criminals!”
He said no good deeds can cover up one’s criminal activity.
“That is what they want. They want us to forgive them because they have served. No matter how good you are, you cannot bring those things to cover up your breaking the law,” Laauli said.
“It had to be done. How many of our youth have been incarcerated and penalised because they broke the law? Why would we give them special treatment because they are M.P.s? Because they have served for a long time? It’s not right. What we wanted yesterday was to maintain the integrity of the Parliament of Samoa.”
Again he apologised to Lepa and Faleata No. 3 but noted Tuilaepa and Lealailepule must accept the punishment handed down by a Parliamentary vote.
“The country can be the judge and have the last say,” Laauli said.
“They (Tuilaepa and Lealailepule) have to accept the decision from Parliament.”